Right: Larry Jolly became the first person to
complete ESAP Level V by finishing his eight-hour
Slope flight with an Electricus. The Electricus is the
same type of model that he used for an eight-hour
flight in 1983 to earn his SAP Level V.

Below: Larry landed more than eight hours after
beginning his Slope event flight at the Cajon Pass
Slope Soaring site in California.

commonplace across the US, the LSF
wouldn’t allow the total number of
pilots flying in these events to count
toward the Accomplishment Program’s
contest requirements.

This has changed with a new and
progressive LSF board elected in 2016,
and the future of the LSF and its
relevance to Soaring in the US seem
to have taken a giant leap forward.

The details of this fantastic Soaring
development were written in the LSF

Short Lines newsletter, Issue #13. Here is
a synopsis of those details:

Background

In the past few years, a new contest
format arose, allowing winch-launched
sailplanes and motors in nose-launched
sailplanes to compete on a level playing
field, at least in the eyes of contest
organizers and competitors. That
format is called Mixed-Launch Thermal
Duration (TD).

As Mixed-Launch TD has grown in
popularity, those who enjoy the format
brought it to the attention of the LSF
board of directors. The president of the
LSF, Larry Jolly, asked a council of Level
Vs to study this proposal and advise
us regarding its merits. A detailed set
of recommendations regarding contest
format rules was
voted on by the board
for possible inclusion
as an allowable
contest format for
the traditional Soaring Accomplishment
Program. This vote took place on
March 30, 2016, and the result was
unanimous board approval. Contest
results in Mixed-Launch TD formats are
acceptable for SAP and ESAP.

Mixed-Launch TD Requirements for
SAP or ESAP Acceptance

The LSF will recognize and consider
Mixed-Launch TD contests for SAP
or ESAP requirements based on the
following.

1. The aspirant must complete all
rounds with a fully compliant winch-launched sailplane that meets all SAP
requirements (or a fully compliant
electric-launched sailplane for ESAP).

2. The contest must meet the
requirements for an Extended Thermal
Duration contest as outlined in the SAP.

3. The scored gliding portion of the
flight commences at the conclusion of
any launch method employed—meaning
that electric-launched models will not
have their motor runs count as part
of the scored flight. Altitude Limited
Electric Soaring (ALES)-type contests,
where the clock is started with the
sailplane leaving the hand, will not
qualify.

4. All contestants must fly the same
tasks. Winch- and Electric-Launched
gliders will have the same target time
and landing task in each round.

5. To the best of his ability, the contest
director will ensure that launch heights
are as equal as possible. Launching will
be in the direction of the turnarounds.

The object is that, at the conclusion of
a launch, all gliders are in the same part
of the sky at the same altitude. Under
no circumstance is launching to become
part of the contest strategy.